If implemented as planned, the move would represent the largest single mass revocation of US visas in history and is likely to face legal challenges.
The State Department is expected to announce the measure in the coming weeks.
Under the proposed action, B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 could be revoked if their holders have filed asylum claims or are currently pursuing asylum in the US.
The State Department is coordinating the process with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), according to documents obtained by The Associated Press and two US officials familiar with the matter.
State Dept confirms coordination with DHS
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott confirmed that the administration was working with DHS to identify visa holders who entered the country as short-term visitors before seeking asylum.
“We are coordinating with DHS to identify and revoke the nonimmigrant visas of foreigners who have come to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently,” Pigott said.
He did not provide an estimate of how many visas could ultimately be cancelled.
“As the process will be ongoing, the number of revocations remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis,” Pigott said.
The exact number of affected visa holders therefore remains uncertain. Officials have also stressed that the proposed revocations have not yet been finalised.
Visa cancellation would not automatically mean deportation
The planned action would not necessarily result in the immediate deportation of everyone whose visa is revoked, according to officials familiar with the process.
Most people with asylum applications already pending would be placed under a different immigration status, while losing the status associated with their B1 or B2 business or tourism visas, the officials said.
The distinction is significant because visa revocation and deportation are separate immigration actions.
The proposed policy is nevertheless expected to create uncertainty for a potentially large number of foreigners who entered the US legally before seeking protection through the asylum system.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the planned visa revocations have not yet been formally announced.
B1 and B2 visa holders face new scrutiny
B1 visas are generally issued to people travelling to the US for business purposes, while B2 visas cover tourism, family visits and medical treatment.
The administration's proposed action would focus on people who entered under these temporary visitor categories but subsequently applied for asylum.
It was not immediately clear from the documents how many B1 and B2 visa holders have filed asylum applications or how many could ultimately be affected.
Applicants for B1 and B2 visas are currently required to affirm that they do not intend to seek asylum in the US and must demonstrate that they plan to return to their home countries.
The proposed revocations would therefore target cases in which authorities determine that the original purpose or stated intention behind the temporary visit was inconsistent with a later asylum application.
Trump administration expands visa restrictions
The latest proposal comes as the Trump administration has significantly expanded scrutiny of foreign nationals seeking entry into the US during the president's second term.
The administration has introduced additional requirements for visa applicants, including greater scrutiny of social media activity and financial requirements for certain visa applicants.
It has also imposed visa restrictions and bans affecting citizens of selected countries.
The administration has increasingly linked immigration enforcement to its broader effort to prevent what it considers abuse of US immigration pathways.
In a social media post on Monday, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau criticised people who use tourist or business visas to enter the US before subsequently seeking asylum.
“People in the US and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims,” Landau wrote on X. “Asylum isn't supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration law.”
Landau cited the case of a Colombian citizen who entered the US on a tourist visa in 2015 before later applying for asylum.
State Dept has already revoked thousands of visas
The planned action follows a broader increase in visa cancellations by the State Department.
Over the past 18 months, the department has revoked around 175,000 visas, according to the information provided by officials and government records.
The revocations have involved people convicted of or accused of crimes ranging from driving under the influence to rape and robbery.
The administration has also revoked visas in cases involving people who publicly criticised US policies, particularly in relation to the Middle East.
The scale of the latest proposal would nevertheless set it apart from previous visa cancellation efforts.
If up to 200,000 B1 and B2 visas are revoked, the measure would constitute the largest single mass visa revocation in US history.
Asylum claims become another focus of immigration enforcement
The proposed policy reflects the administration's broader focus on the asylum system, which Trump officials have repeatedly criticised as vulnerable to abuse.
The government has argued that some foreign nationals use temporary visitor visas as a route into the US before seeking to remain permanently through asylum applications.
The State Department documents obtained by AP indicate that the screening of existing B1 and B2 visa holders began after the department received information about asylum applications from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The information-sharing process has allowed officials to identify people who entered under temporary visitor categories but later sought asylum.
The proposed revocations would place those cases under renewed scrutiny as the administration seeks to distinguish legitimate temporary visitors from people it believes used visitor visas as a pathway to remain in the country.
Birth tourism also faces continued crackdown
The administration has separately stepped up efforts against so-called birth tourism, referring to cases in which foreign pregnant women travel to the US to give birth so that their children can potentially obtain US citizenship under the country's birthright citizenship framework.
Trump has made repeated attempts to restrict birthright citizenship, but courts have blocked the administration's efforts, with the issue also reaching the Supreme Court.
The birth tourism crackdown and the proposed B1 and B2 visa revocations form part of a broader push by the administration to tighten the rules governing temporary entry into the US.
For now, the planned mass revocation remains subject to the finalisation of the government's process.
The State Department has not publicly confirmed the final number of visas that would be cancelled, leaving the eventual scale of the action uncertain.